Assistant Athletics Director, Communications - Utah State University

Overview:

Join our dynamic team at Utah State University Athletics as the Assistant Athletics Director for Communications (Public Relations Specialist II). This leadership role will be directly responsible for coordinating the publicity and promotion efforts of Utah State Athletics. Reporting to the Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping the narrative of our athletic programs both locally and nationally.

 

The position coordinates the publicity and promotion of Utah State Athletics, including press releases, publications, statistical information, community interest stories and maintenance of the Athletics website. This position produces and integrates digital and visual graphic content, manages social media channels, and serves as a liaison between the Athletic Department and local media as well as the Mountain West and NCAA. The position supports the department’s efforts to provide alumni, fans, prospective students, and the public an increased awareness of Utah State’s athletic programs. Evening and weekend work required as necessary with some travel expected.

Responsibilities:

The range of responsibilities for this position includes customer service, social media integration, graphic design, photography, overseeing statistical software and web site issues, game-day management, writing, editing, proactive media pitching, the facilitation of interview requests and archiving, travel to select events, and supervising interns and student assistants, along with other duties as assigned.

 

Essential Functions:

• Serve as the media contact for men’s basketball as well as the primary media contact for two or three additional Olympic sport programs.
• Assist in all aspects of running an efficient and effective operation with a primary focus on digital media and content creation, including the management of assigned social media accounts.
• Use social media to promote individual teams and USU Athletics with graphics, video and unique messaging.
• Develop and execute creative content plans for assigned sports.
• Provide content for Utah State Athletics website (utahstateaggies.com) and social media pages.
• Maintain a high level of professionalism on and off the field toward student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and members of the community.
• Collaborate with external groups to create and execute digital content and communication strategies to grow the Utah State Athletics brand, amplify athletic events and programs, and broaden outreach to all current and potential constituents (students, parents, staff, alumni and community).
• Work with external and internal units to develop and implement efficient communication methods to advance the visibility of the department.
• Develop and foster positive relationships and generate unique story ideas for local, national and hometown media.
• Tabulate official statistics for assigned sports with the use of NCAA Genius Live Stats and StatCrew.
• Attends athletic events of assigned sports (home and away) as required.
• Maintains historical records and statistics for assigned sports.
• Manages award nomination/selection processes for assigned sports.
• Produces media guides/record books and other publications for assigned sports.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and two years of experience in collegiate athletic media relations or a related field.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and four years of experience in collegiate athletic media relations or a related field.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience running social media accounts.
• Strong writing, editing and design (print and web) skills.
• Must have a solid understanding of the benefits of social media.
• Working knowledge with photography and understanding content creation.
• Working knowledge of web site management, specifically Sidearm, and multimedia production.
• Ability to develop and maintain relationships with coaches, student-athletes, staff, fans and alumni.
• Ability to solve problems, make decisions, multitask, and prioritize ongoing and new projects successfully.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, InDesign, Premier Pro, etc.).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Publisher and PowerPoint.
• Proficiency in NCAA Genius Live Stats and StatCrew.
• Ability to work independently as well as lead projects.
• Ability to meet short deadlines.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends, and be able to travel with designated teams when required.

Required Documents:

Along with the online application, please attach:

1. Resume/CV to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV"
2. Name and contact information for 3 professional references to be entered into Candidate Profile

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Advertised Salary:Commensurate with experience, plus excellent benefitsADA:

Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes. The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand motions.

University Highlights:

Founded in 1888, Utah State University is Utah’s premier land-grant, public service university, with a strong commitment to excellence, access, and inclusion, empowering people to lead successful lives of involvement, innovation, and impact. Utah State provides high-quality education to 27,500-plus students locations throughout the state, including at three residential campuses, eight statewide campuses, and 23 education centers. USU Online educates students from all 50 states and 55 countries. For over 25 years, USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns in all of Utah’s counties. As an R1 research institution, Utah State is dedicated to advancing knowledge through research and scholarly activities, providing a high-quality undergraduate and graduate education at an affordable price.

 

Utah State is committed to cultivating a community of inclusive excellence where all perspectives, values, cultures, and identities are acknowledged, welcomed, and valued. We seek to recruit, hire, and retain people from all walks of life who will champion excellence in education, research, discovery, outreach, and service. We believe that promoting a strong sense of community and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and be successful. Forbes recognized our commitment to employees when they named Utah State the best employer in Utah in 2023. Learn more about USU. 

 

The university provides a Dual Career Assistance Program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment. Additionally, USU is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, contact the university’s ADA Coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at (435) 797-0122 or hr@usu.edu. 

 

About the Region

U.S. News and World Report ranked Utah first for its strong economy, fiscal stability, education, and health care. Outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities abound throughout the state, including five national parks, 43 state parks and recreation areas, and 15 alpine ski resorts. The home of USU’s main campus, Logan, is a city of 54,000-plus people in a picturesque mountain valley 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. The Logan metro area claimed the top spot in the Milken Institute’s 2022 ranking for best-performing small cities in the nation. 

 

*updated 04/2024

Notice of Non-discrimination:

In its programs and activities, including in admissions and employment, Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy, Title IX, or any other federal, state, or local law.

The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USU’s non-discrimination policies:

 

Executive Director of the Office of Equity Matthew Pinner, discrimination@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 401, 435-797-1266

Title IX Coordinator Cody Carmichael, titleix@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 404, 435-797-1266

Mailing address: 5100 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322

For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit https://equity.usu.edu/, or contact:

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 800-421-3481, OCR@ed.gov

*updated 09/2023